Easton Williams 2010 poster child for HCSCA telethon
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Young Easton Williams is the 2010 telethon poster child for the 38th annual telethon for the Highland County Society for Children and Adults. Easton, who is 13 months old and has cerebral palsy, is the son of Rachel Williams and Joshua Williams, both of Hillsboro.
This year’s telethon will be from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, March 31 at Merchants National Bank in Hillsboro and from McClain High School in Greenfield.
The telethon’s adult representative this year is Gary Green of Greenfield.
In an advance promotion for the 2010 telethon, which is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Hillsboro and Greenfield, Rachel Williams sat down with Hillsboro Rotarian Ernie B. Blankenship, and Society Executive Secretary Gayle Coss this week at NCB in Hillsboro.
Williams, who also has two daughters, Emma, 4, and Evon, 2, praised the efforts of the society in providing assistance for her son.
“We had been running into difficulties getting a therapeutic positioning seat, basically a multifunctional EAS (Early Activity System) for Easton,” Williams said. “Gayle and the society provided the help we needed. The society has had a huge impact. Easton has made significant improvements.”
Williams said learning “the system” and dealing with the many levels of bureaucracy has been difficult. “Dealing with that is tough; dealing with Easton is fine,” she said. “The society has been wonderful in providing
assistance and answering questions.”
The society serves approximately 1,000 clients, all from Highland County, each year, Coss said.
“Our requests for services have gone up, partly because of the area’s
high unemployment,” Coss said.
“We are seeing more requests from adults; people who need everything from prescription drug assistance to gas vouchers.”
“We’re raising funds for local people who need help,” telethon emcee Ernie Blankenship told The Highland County Press. “The Rotarians of Hillsboro and Greenfield take a lot of pride in this project. This community and its generosity are the best.”
As usual, Blankenship promised a few surprises the night of the telethon, but declined to say what they might be.
“Well, if I told you, they wouldn't be surprises, would they?” he joked.
Both Coss and Blankenship expressed appreciation to the Hillsboro and Greenfield Rotary Clubs as well as the many contributors to each telethon.
The first telethon, held in 1973, raised $1,715. The 2007 event raised
an all-time high of $217,043.
Following are previous fund-raising totals.
HCSCA/Rotary Telethons
1973 - $1,715
1974 - $2,933
1975 - $3,171
1976 - $6,474
1977 - $9,282
1978 - $7,664
1979 - $8,087
1980 - $7,234
1981 - $7,868
1982 - $7,365
1983 - $10,237
1984 - $12,355
1985 - $14,375
1986 - $17,385
1987 - $22,809
1988 - $27,130
1989 - $33,743
1990 - $35,650
1991 - $35,739
1992 - $40,100
1993 - $49,900
1994 - $48,415
1995 - $52,635
1996 - $64,100
1997 - $107,170
1998 - $103,929
1999 - $119,075
2000 - $128,248
2001 - $172,000
2002 - $163,278
2003 - $175,500
2004 - $146,000
2005 - $157,000
2006 - $202,137
2007 - $217,043
2008 - $200,025
2009 - $144,700
— Total - $2,562,241[[In-content Ad]]
This year’s telethon will be from 6-10 p.m. Wednesday, March 31 at Merchants National Bank in Hillsboro and from McClain High School in Greenfield.
The telethon’s adult representative this year is Gary Green of Greenfield.
In an advance promotion for the 2010 telethon, which is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Hillsboro and Greenfield, Rachel Williams sat down with Hillsboro Rotarian Ernie B. Blankenship, and Society Executive Secretary Gayle Coss this week at NCB in Hillsboro.
Williams, who also has two daughters, Emma, 4, and Evon, 2, praised the efforts of the society in providing assistance for her son.
“We had been running into difficulties getting a therapeutic positioning seat, basically a multifunctional EAS (Early Activity System) for Easton,” Williams said. “Gayle and the society provided the help we needed. The society has had a huge impact. Easton has made significant improvements.”
Williams said learning “the system” and dealing with the many levels of bureaucracy has been difficult. “Dealing with that is tough; dealing with Easton is fine,” she said. “The society has been wonderful in providing
assistance and answering questions.”
The society serves approximately 1,000 clients, all from Highland County, each year, Coss said.
“Our requests for services have gone up, partly because of the area’s
high unemployment,” Coss said.
“We are seeing more requests from adults; people who need everything from prescription drug assistance to gas vouchers.”
“We’re raising funds for local people who need help,” telethon emcee Ernie Blankenship told The Highland County Press. “The Rotarians of Hillsboro and Greenfield take a lot of pride in this project. This community and its generosity are the best.”
As usual, Blankenship promised a few surprises the night of the telethon, but declined to say what they might be.
“Well, if I told you, they wouldn't be surprises, would they?” he joked.
Both Coss and Blankenship expressed appreciation to the Hillsboro and Greenfield Rotary Clubs as well as the many contributors to each telethon.
The first telethon, held in 1973, raised $1,715. The 2007 event raised
an all-time high of $217,043.
Following are previous fund-raising totals.
HCSCA/Rotary Telethons
1973 - $1,715
1974 - $2,933
1975 - $3,171
1976 - $6,474
1977 - $9,282
1978 - $7,664
1979 - $8,087
1980 - $7,234
1981 - $7,868
1982 - $7,365
1983 - $10,237
1984 - $12,355
1985 - $14,375
1986 - $17,385
1987 - $22,809
1988 - $27,130
1989 - $33,743
1990 - $35,650
1991 - $35,739
1992 - $40,100
1993 - $49,900
1994 - $48,415
1995 - $52,635
1996 - $64,100
1997 - $107,170
1998 - $103,929
1999 - $119,075
2000 - $128,248
2001 - $172,000
2002 - $163,278
2003 - $175,500
2004 - $146,000
2005 - $157,000
2006 - $202,137
2007 - $217,043
2008 - $200,025
2009 - $144,700
— Total - $2,562,241[[In-content Ad]]